From comforting hawker classics to grand banquet feasts, one writer’s recent visit to Ipoh proves why this charming city is a paradise for food lovers. Here’s how one extended family ate their way through one of Malaysia’s culinary capitals.

Ipoh is a charming city offering visitors history, interesting places, and a wide variety of delectable food, too. (Some say it’s on par with Penang when it comes to terrific local street food!) It is also quite well-planned (a legacy of the British colonial rulers of the past), clean, and safe. The city is the fifth-largest in Malaysia and is also notable for its surrounding forested limestone hills, cliffs, and caves.

We arrived to rainy weather in Ipoh via the ETS (Electric Train Service), pulling into the city’s century-old train station, a historically significant and imposing structure just a short walk from Old Town Ipoh. Despite its age, the station remains iconic and will soon undergo much-needed renovations.

From there, our group, which included my uncle’s family, my siblings, and myself, made our way to the Weil Hotel, a modern establishment located close to several landmarks, including the Main Convent school and Ipoh Parade Mall. Nearby are notable sites like St. Michael’s Church, the Chief Minister’s residence, and Sam Tet School.

We felt that the hotel was tastefully designed, with comfortable rooms and amenities to match. After a long day of travel, we enjoyed a delightful late-night supper at Tiffin, the hotel’s casual all-day diner, before retiring to our rooms.

The next day, after visiting our ancestral graves in a Catholic cemetery nearby Tambun township, we had northern Indian cuisine for lunch at the very agreeable Pakeeza Restaurant & Catering together with other Ipoh relatives. We were spoilt for choice by the menu – and by the waiters who were eager to please. The dishes ordered were tantalizingly rich and perfectly flavoured with herbs and spices.

After lunch, we headed with anticipation for The Haven Resort, a placed we had heard much about. We passed by many interesting shoplots and buildings along Jalan Sultan Idris Shah (formerly and fondly named Brewster Road) and later, the engaging scenery along Tambun Road. When we arrived at the resort, we were not disappointed.

Its location, well-sited among jungle-clad limestone hills and cliffs was simply mesmerizing, yet quite laid-back. The views there were enchanting and serene – most inviting! We strolled around, eyeing the beauty of the lake and surrounding greenery and then had delightful cocktails, beers, and other beverages later at their chic and relaxing poolside bar and restaurant.

Dinner that evening was a highlight of our trip – we ate at Pusing Public Seafood Restaurant in the heart of Ipoh. Renowned for its fresh and exquisite seafood, the meal included a quadruple cold seafood platter, a rather pricey steamed marble goby, roast pork knuckle, and crab meat tau foo, and more. Each dish was served banquet-style and prepared to perfection. The head waitress was particularly personable, as well, ensuring our dining experience was seamless and enjoyable.

The next day we had a big breakfast buffet at the hotel’s Tiffin diner just as we did the first morning (and would for the next two mornings). After a very filling breakfast, we moved on to Perak Tong (a Taoist cave temple), passing by the interesting hilly outskirts of Ipoh. One of the great appeals of Ipoh is that it’s ringed by numerous limestone cliffs, several of which contain caves. Some of those caves have been transformed into temples, and Perak Tong is among the best.

The cave temple was cool and dark inside, full of mystery, yet alluring at the same time with huge deity statues and fragrant incense burning away. As we walked around the cavernous inside, we could hear echoes of water dripping, footsteps, voices of people, and the regular sounding of a gong – which I confess was rather eerie to hear.

Later, we had lunch at Ipoh’s well-known Thean Chun Coffee Shop, an old shoplot eatery with loads of charm, where we had tasty hawker food (kai see hor fun is a treat here) and also their famous egg custard dessert. After that we walked around the cute and curious Concubine Lane, exploring the quaint Plan B (a rejuvenation development), and the endearing century-old Birch Memorial Clock Tower and its surrounding area.

At teatime, we arrived at the charming old Durbar at FMS Bar & Restaurant for drinks and to cool down in its pleasing air-conditioned colonial pre-war environment. Apart from that welcome air-con, I felt transported back at least 90 years as I looked around and marvelled at its architecture, décor, and antique ceiling fans that were still operational. The friendly elderly waitress who tended to us was an absolute delight.

For dinner that night, we decided on the attractive Kok Thai Restaurant. We had mouthwatering suckling pig with buns, special fried rice, stir-fried mixed vegetables, and tau foo with minced pork. It was a ravishing meal befitting an emperor. When we returned to Weil Hotel, we decided to have another round of beverages at the Tiffin. We discussed possible future revisits to Ipoh and what we were going to eat even though our foodie trip to Ipoh this round wasn’t quite over yet. Truly very typical foodie Chinese Malaysians we are indeed!

The next morning, after another humongous breakfast, we said our goodbyes to my uncle and his family who were headed for the airport to catch a Scoot flight back to Singapore. We made a vow to see each other soon in the potential trip to Ipoh again and maybe to Penang, too, in 2025. (That will unquestionably be yet another food-focused trip!)

Later, two former classmates of my siblings took us out for lunch at the very inviting Sun Marpoh Restaurant in the Ipoh Garden ‘suburb.’ Except for the curry chicken, the rest of the meal was irresistibly wholesome Cantonese dishes.

After lunch, we decided to have beverages at Oldtown White Coffee in Ipoh Garden South. After much chatter over coffee and hot chocolate, we again decided to have dinner together too in Gopeng, a small town 25 minutes south of Ipoh. My siblings and I were then sent back to the hotel by the couple.

After a shower and a rest, we were picked up by them again. We arrived at dusk at the simple, wholesome eatery called Krystal Jade Seafood Restaurant, located in the Gopeng ‘suburb.’ We had yet another ‘memorable to the taste-buds’ meal. There were fried fish steaks, fried pork, stewed stir-fried brinjal, special stir-fried fermented vegetables, and a couple of other dishes. It was a good ending to our last night in Ipoh, although I felt like staying back a few more nights – surely there was more food to try!

The next morning after breakfast, we were kindly driven to the train station by the friend’s husband to catch the ETS back to Kuala Lumpur. As we drove along the historically endearing Hugh Low Street, now renamed Jalan Sultan Iskandar, thoughts of the lovable sights and sounds of the past few days’ visit to Ipoh played through my mind. It was indeed a charming and memorable experience revisiting Ipoh, which captivated us with its unique blend of heritage and culinary excellence. Hopefully, we will be back again soon… hungry for more!

Photos contributed by Yip Weng Sum, Chad Merchant, and Chris Yip.